TY - JOUR
T1 - Small-scale Geodiversity Regulates Functioning, Connectivity, and Productivity of Shrubby, Semi-arid Rangelands
AU - Stavi, Ilan
AU - Rachmilevitch, Shimon
AU - Yizhaq, Hezi
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (ISF. Grant No. 1260/15). The authors express gratitude to Prof. David Eldridge and an additional two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments, which allowed the considerable improvement of a previous version of the paper.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2018/2/1
Y1 - 2018/2/1
N2 - Geodiversity has recently been attracting increasing attention as a measure of diversity for the physical components of natural environments. It has shown positive relations with biodiversity, as well as with several ecosystem services. Yet, so far, geodiversity studies have focused on relatively large spatial scales, ranging between hillslope, basin, and landform scales. It is proposed that either natural-induced or anthropogenic-induced, small-scale (centimeter-scale to few decimeter-scale) geodiversity has a large impact on the hydrological connectivity and overall functioning of semi-arid rangelands and other shrubby and woody drylands. It is further proposed that greater small-scale geodiversity increases the on-site retention of water and soil resources, decreasing the vulnerability of rangelands to prolonged droughts and climatic changes. Particularly, positive impact of moderate grazing intensity on rangelands functioning is demonstrated by the formation of livestock trampling routes, which transect hillslopes, increase ecosystem geodiversity, and modify the spatial redistribution of scarce water and soil resources at the patch scale. Numerical simulations of a mathematical model for vegetation patterns in water-limited systems show that the trampling routes increase the survivability of vegetation patches under prolonged droughts. In practical terms, the concept of small-scale geodiversity is relevant for the determination, monitoring, and assessment of land degradation, as well as for restoration projects of eroded lands and degraded ecosystems.
AB - Geodiversity has recently been attracting increasing attention as a measure of diversity for the physical components of natural environments. It has shown positive relations with biodiversity, as well as with several ecosystem services. Yet, so far, geodiversity studies have focused on relatively large spatial scales, ranging between hillslope, basin, and landform scales. It is proposed that either natural-induced or anthropogenic-induced, small-scale (centimeter-scale to few decimeter-scale) geodiversity has a large impact on the hydrological connectivity and overall functioning of semi-arid rangelands and other shrubby and woody drylands. It is further proposed that greater small-scale geodiversity increases the on-site retention of water and soil resources, decreasing the vulnerability of rangelands to prolonged droughts and climatic changes. Particularly, positive impact of moderate grazing intensity on rangelands functioning is demonstrated by the formation of livestock trampling routes, which transect hillslopes, increase ecosystem geodiversity, and modify the spatial redistribution of scarce water and soil resources at the patch scale. Numerical simulations of a mathematical model for vegetation patterns in water-limited systems show that the trampling routes increase the survivability of vegetation patches under prolonged droughts. In practical terms, the concept of small-scale geodiversity is relevant for the determination, monitoring, and assessment of land degradation, as well as for restoration projects of eroded lands and degraded ecosystems.
KW - environmental planning and management
KW - patchy vegetation cover
KW - source-sink ecosystems
KW - structural versus functional connectivity
KW - two versus three-phase mosaics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959059333&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ldr.2469
DO - 10.1002/ldr.2469
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84959059333
SN - 1085-3278
VL - 29
SP - 205
EP - 209
JO - Land Degradation and Development
JF - Land Degradation and Development
IS - 2
ER -